Link extractor for revolver type automatic gun



Jan. 15, 1957 w. F. RUNGE LINK EXTRACTOR FOR REVOLVER TYPE AUTOMATIC GUN Filed Jan. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WuPLEmIE Run E.

mwmws Jan. 15, 1957 w. F. RUNGE 2,777,236

LINK EXTRACTOR FOR REVOLVER TYPE AUTOMATIC GUN Filed Jan. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

'WELPLBI E Runga ATTORNEYS LINK EXTRACTOR FUR REVOLVER TYPE AUTOMATIC GUN Walter F. Range, Elmhurst, HL, assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as repre= sented by the Secretary of the Army Application January 19, 1954, Serial No. 405,060

2 Claims. (Cl. 42-68) My invention relates to an electrically fired revolvertype automatic gun and more particularly to an extractor therefor.

Such a gun ordinarily comprises a recoil unit and an actuator individually slidable on a receiver. A barrel is secured to the recoil unit and a drum is rotatably mounted thereon. The drum includes spaced cartridge chambers and index rollers, and the chambers are supplied with live cartridges by a feeder. The six oclock drum position of the chambers is aligned with the barrel and each cartridge is fired when the enclosing chamber reaches the firing position.

The actuator includes grooves for engaging the rollers to sequentially convey the cartridge chambers to the six oclock firing position.

The usual cartridge drum includes five chambers and each of the chambers dwells successively in four nonfiring positions during one rotation of the drum, while the cartridges in the remainder of the chambers are fired. The chambers are loaded in two stages in the pair of dwell positions before the firing position and the cases of the spent cartridges are removed from the chambers in an extraction position thereof immediately following the firing position.

Former guns of this type were fired from the twelve oclock position of the drum and the cases were extracted by a mechanism including a pawl actuated through a mechanical linkage comprising a simple lever pivoted on the recoil unit and operated by theactuator. High energy absorption by impact and friction between the interacting parts of this mechanism limits the extraction velocity of the cases but an increased extraction force abruptly applied could possibly rupture the case or tear the case rim of a cartridge. It is advantageous, therefore, to apply a high force at low velocity to loosen the case in the chamber followed by a high velocity force to complete extraction.

It is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide a simple extractor to remove spent cartridge cases from the drum of a gun constructed to fire in the six oclock drum position.

An additional object of my invention is to provide such an extractor requiring a comparatively low energy input from the actuator for removing the cases from the drum.

A further object of my invention is to provide such an extractor for ejecting the extracted cases at a substantially higher velocity than for previous extractors for a gun of this type.

Other aims and objects of my invention will appear in the following description.

In carrying out my invention, the cradle of the gun includes a cylinder having a piston therein provided with a flange. The piston is slidable in the direction of the gun axis. An extraction pawl pivoted on the flange includes an end for projecting in the extractor groove of a case in extraction position. The pawl and the drum are provided with mating surfaces for carnming the pawl 2,777,236 Patented Jan. 15, 1957 into engagement with a stop On the flange to dispose the pawl parallel with the rear face of the drum, and the piston is biased forwardly to press the pawl into engagement with the rear face.

The cradle is provided with a pivoted lever engageable at one end with the actuator and at the opposite end with the piston. The one end is displaced by and rides upon the actuator during the latter portion of the forward travel thereof to displace the piston and pawl and to remove the case in extraction position from the drum.

The cylinder and the pawl are provided with surfaces for engagement in the forward travel of the piston to 1'0- tate the pawl and increase the velocity of extraction.

For a better understanding of my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly cut-away elevational view of the gun with the actuator in battery position;

Fig. 2 is a view along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective left side view of the extraction device with the pawl in extraction position.

According to the drawing, a gun 12 includes a receiver 14 with a recoil unit 16 slidably disposed thereon and provided with a drum 18 rotatable on a shaft 19. A feeder, generally shown at 20, is secured to receiver 14 and supplies cartridges to drum 13.

Receiver 14 includes sides 22 and end 24 in perpendicular relation to a substantially flat base 26 and pairs of trunnions 28 and 30 secured to sides 22.

Recoil unit 16 includes a barrel 32 secured to a cradle 34 and slidable in a support 36 of receiver 14. Barrel 32 includes an axis 33.

Drum 18 includes chambers 4d, one of which is shown in Fig. l in the extraction positioh of the drum with a discharged cartridge case 42 therein. Drum 118 is provided with rollers 44 rotatably mounted on shafts 46 radially projecting from the surface of the drum. The axes of the shafts are co-planar and are spaced to intersect the axes of chambers 40. Barrel 32 and support 36 are respectively provided with passages 48 and 59 communieating between barrel 36 and a tube 52 slidably disposed between receiver 14 and a cylinder 54 of cradle 34-. Cylinder 54 incloses a slidable piston 56 secured to a plunger 53 projecting rearwardly from cradle 34.

An actuator 64) slidably disposed on receiver 14 is biased to a battery position in engagement with plunger 58 by springs 62 in engagement with end 24. Rods 64 support springs 62.

Gun 12 is electrically fired and gases from barrel 32 escape through passages 38 and and tube 52 to force piston 56, plunger 58 and actuator rearwardly against springs 62. The gas pressure is released when the projectile leaves barrel 32 and actuator 60 is returned to the battery position thereof by springs 62 and energy transferred to the slide from drum 18. During the actuator cycle, chambers 40 are advanced one position by means of surfaces on the actuator engaging rollers 44. Rotation of drum 18 is completed and the drum is brought to rest before the final portion of travel of actuator 6%). Drum 18 remains at rest during a corresponding initial portion of the succeeding actuator cycle. The length of each of these portions of travel is of the order of two inches.

Cradle 34 includes a cylinder 66 having a cup-shaped piston 68 disposed therein and slidable in the direction of the gun axis. Piston 68 includes a flange itl movable in a slot 72 of cylinder 66. A pawl 74 is pivoted at 76 on flange 70.

Pawl '74 is provided with an end 77 having respective locator and extractor surfaces 78 and 80. A spring 31 biases piston 68 forwardly and a surface 82 of the pawl engages bevel rear edge 83 of drum 18 to position locator surface 78 in engagement with rear face 84 of drum 18. End '77 is adapted to extend into the extractor groove 85 of case 42 as the enclosing chamber 40 is rotated to the extraction position. Flange '70 includes a stop 86 to engage shoulder 87 of the pawl and prevent cloc xwise rotation thereof as shown in Fig. 3.

A lever 88 having opposite ends 90 and 92 for respective engagement with piston 68 and a striker lug 96 of actuator 60 is pivoted on cradle 34 at 94. End 92 of the lever rides upon lug 96 in the final portion of forward travel to displace pawl 74 from the rear face of drum 18 and remove case 42 from the extraction position chamber. End 92 continues to be supported by lug 96 when actuator 60 is in battery position and during the initial portion of the succeeding actuator cycle. At the end of the initial portion, pawl 74 is forced against rear face 84 by spring 81 to be in position for extraction when the chamber bearing case 42 is rotated to the extraction position.

As piston 68 proceeds rearwardly, case 42 is urged from drum 18. Cylinder 66 and pawl 74 respectively include stops 98 and shoulder 100 for engagement as piston 68 moves rearwardly to pivot pawl 74- and accelerate case 42. A projection 102 and a lug 104 are respectively provided on pawl 74 and flange 70 to limit rotation of pawl 74.

It is readily seen that spring 81 is required to return surface 78 to engagement with rear face 84 before chamber 40 arrives at the extraction position to permit end 77 to be enclosed by extractor groove 85.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I claim:

1. A device for extracting cartridges from a revolvertype automatic gun including a receiver, a slidable recoil unit, a drum including a rear edge bevel provided with cartridge chambers and rotatably disposed on the recoil unit, and an actuator slidable with respect to the recoil unit for successively rotating the chambers to positions in the drum including an extraction position, said device comprising a striker secured to the actuator, a cylinder secured to the recoil unit including a piston slidable therein provided with a flange and biased forwardly, a pawl pivoted on said flange for extending into the extractor groove of a case chambered in the extraction position, and a lever pivoted on the recoil unit for respective engagement of the ends thereof with said piston and said striker, said flange having a stop, said pawl having a surface for engagement with the bevel and a shoulder for engagement with said stop to apply a removal force to the rim of the case responsive to forward movement of the actuator, and said pawl and said cylinder having surfaces. for engagement during removal of the case to accelerate the velocity thereof.

2. In a revolver-type automatic gun including a recoil unit, a barrel disposed thereon, a drum with cartridge chambers rotatably disposed on the recoil unit, and an actuator axially slidable in rearward and forward strokes for successive rotation of the chambers to an extraction position, an extractor comprising a cylinder secured to the recoil unit, a piston provided with a flange having a pawl pivoted thereon and biased forwardly for projection of said pawl into the extractor groove of the discharged cartridge case, and a lever pivoted on the recoil unit for respective engagement between the actuator in the forward movement thereof and said piston for removal of the discharged cartridge case from the drum responsive to the forward movement, and said pawl and said cylinder having surfaces for engagement during the forward stroke to accelerate said'removal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,656,635 Stevens et al. Oct. 27, 1953 2,708,803 Schneider May 24, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 410,009 Italy Mar. 16, 1945 693,152 Great Britain June 24, 1953 

